The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Carnatic Musicians
vasanthakokilam
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Here is a google map view of that area. Straight east of Aduthrai is Komal ( Google labels it wrongly as Therizandur. What's up with that Google, I am mad at you!! The actual Therizandur is just a mile north of there which also is labeled as Therizandur, correctly ).I stopped at this zoom level so it shows both Aduthurai and Komal but you can zoom in much further and see amazing details. In fact, at the max zoom level, I can see the approx outline of the miththam area of the house I grew up in!!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11.016015 ... src=6&z=13

Ravir, you are right about the names of those villages and rivers in that area. Especially the Veerasozhan river, very much part of me, I feel. It brings back memories of a past long time back. Now I learned from this thread that Smt. Dhanammal's guru is from that area.

Can you zoom in that area and mark where Sathanur is and let us know how to spot it. I do see Tiruvavaduthurai.

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

Senior vidvans/vidhushis stopped attending the Tiruvaiyyaru Aradhana from the mid-1980s itself. They would attend the Aradhana at the Thyagaraja Vidvat Samajam in Mylapore, Madras. Balamuralikrishna was the President of the Samajam for a few years, upto 1990. He would personally call up vidvans and request them to participate. Very few could refuse. And he conducted the Aradhana in an exemplary way. In January 1989 the Aradhana was attended by Semmangudi, MS, Brinda, Muktha, PSN, KVN, Vellore Ramabhadran, UKS, Guruvayur Dorai etc. After the exquisite Pancharatna rendition by all, which was far removed from the cacophony we witness at Tiruvaiyyaru, Balamurali requested MS to sing. She sang a couple of songs. I think it was Vijaya Rajendran who accompanied her. Balamurali then requested Brinda to sing. Now, none ever dared to ask Brinda to sing, but the way in which Balamurali requested and the hallowed atmosphere persuaded her to sing. And she and Muktha started on ‘kArubAru’. After the first line, Muktha signalled to MS to sing along. MS looked at Sadasivan who nodded and she sang with them. Balamurali provided viola accompaniment, UKS, Vellore and Dorai played the mridangam. Oh, the rendition was…..I cannot describe it. Sublime is the only word. MS sang exactly like B-M with no deviation in any sangati and the three voices blended beautifully. That is why cienu, I was asking you about kArubAru,.

B-M then went on to sing sItAvara sangIta jnAnamu which MS indicated to Muktha that she did not know.

After the programme was over they all came down the platform. We were standing near B-M. Semmangudi asked one of us, “Tell me where is this Sampradaya?” I replied that it was on Oliver Road. “Oliver Road-nu cholladEy, musiri subramaniam salai-nnu chollu. nAn dan MGR-kiTTa anda pEra vekka chonnEn” at which Brinda retorted, “Oh, Iyerwal, what a great service! Have you heard about a poor old lady called Veena Dhanammal. There is no road or street named after her. Probably she did not deserve the recommendations of periya manuShAL like you”. Semmangudi could do nothing other than grin sheepishly.

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

When Semmangudi wanted to learn from Brinda, she told him that he had to sit down in front of her and learn, just like any other student. Though he was four years elder to Brinda, Semmangudi agreed to this condition. And thus he learnt many a song from Brinda. The lessons continued not only in Madras but also in Trivandrum and in Kuttralam(Tirunelveli dt.) where they would go for a holiday. Muktha, Musiri, Papa etc would acompany them. Music sessions and card playing sessions also would take place apart from bathing in the falls. They would stay at the Travancore palace in Kuttralam.

Aditto
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Joined: 20 May 2008, 20:31

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Aditto »

Hello,

I have read about a concert when B-M, MS and MLV sang together. How far was this correct? I will try to search the link where I read this. Anyone knows this?

Regards,
Aditya.

knandago2001
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Joined: 05 Sep 2006, 10:09

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

A nice documentary on Smt. Veena Dhanammal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDuZxVI5 ... re=related

sampoorna
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by sampoorna »

I am immensely enjoying this thread and the documentary is a bonus. Thanks to everyone who has contributed, especially Shri RaviSri.

Narayana,
Sampoorna.

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by rshankar »

knandago2001 wrote:A nice documentary on Smt. Veena Dhanammal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDuZxVI5 ... re=related
Nandagopal, I figured that this thread would 'smoke' you out! You should add your memories too!

arasi
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by arasi »

Thanks, Ravisri. I have seen the playwright's name written only in tamizh (so, i didn't know whether it was g or k!).

The busy bee is here with the map. VK, my apologies for thinking that you hailed from Gomal and not Komal! Ah, must be great, to see the muTRam of the house you grew up in! A rose is a rose is a rose, even by the name of a neighboring flower, by the same riverside. Now, dAmal is different (DKP's)--near kAnchIpuram. Wonder if they're all truncated versions of longer lovely names.

Good to have you back, Nandagopal!
Thanks for adding to the wealth of this thread.These names make me think of the song 'Samal SAmal baran, kOmal kOmal charan!"

Ramasubramanian M.K
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Ravisri: re;Posts 102 and 103--- How authentic--between B and M -- B was always the most feared and fearless--ofcourse it will always come only when provoked by others as in the Musiri case mentioned above. If Santhanam and Musiri could have roads named after them, WHY even in 2011,we still do not have any Vidwan initiating a movement to name a street in Chennai--not necessarily in the Georgetown area--in memory of the Great Dhanammal.

Over the years when I have overheard stinging repartees like the one above I used to be taken aback at what I felt at that time to be unwarranted insouciance!! But looking back, there was every justification for the Family to rue that their contributions have not been adequately recognized by the Music Elites in Chennai.


The story would never be complete without mentoning how T.Viswanathan --despite the fact that he too was not recognized properly(he was consigned to a readership in the Music Dept of Madras University)--helped fellow artistes like V.Thyagarajan and V.Nagarajan(Papa Sir's sons --Papa Sir and the family had great regard for each other and Abhiramasundari was considered by Papa Sir as one of his outstanding disciples),Ramnad Krishnan and Ramnad Raghavan ,KVN and Palghat Raghu using his contacts with Bob Brown in Wesleyan University in Connecticut--he also arranged for M.A.Kalyanakrishna Bhagavathar(Veena),besides S.Ramanathan.

Viswa Sir had tremendous administrative capabilities which went unnoticed in Chennai.

MY POINT: Members of the family have been MORE GENEROUS in sharing their experiences,recognizing/encouraging other fellow artistes,training young learners--Western or Indian and imparting their carefully preserved authentic treasures to willing and able students
than the Family ever received from the Musical Community.
Ravisri--thanks for the memories--how lucky we all are to be living in such times!!

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

Today is Dhanammal's 73rd death anniversary. She died on October 15th, 1938. Though it is so long, still we are talking about her, and a whole new generation wants to know about her and wants to listen to her bhANi. That is the legacy of the Trinity. My personal opinion is that in music only those who are the recepients of the Trinitys' blessings can hope to be talked about for so long, remembered and their memory and music perpetuated.

For those who do not know, another facet of her contribution. Everyone sings Tiruvotriyu Tyagayyar's varnams. How many people know that it was Dhanammal who gave these varnams the polish and the sheen that the varnams possess today? Tyagayyar even when he was very old used to walk all the way to Dhanammal's house. After a game of dice with Dhanammal (who would be assisted by her eldest daughter Rajalakshmi), Tyagayyar would say, "OK, Dhanam, the game is enough. Come on, I have composed this varnam in Sahana (or Darbar or Reetigaula). Listen to it and give them polish in your unique way." Several such varnams of Thyagayyar were thus polished, made perfect and given to the outside world. Similarly her contribution in popularising the compositions of the Tanjore Quartette also need to be mentioned. nIdu pAdamE in pantuvrALi, nI sari sATi in kalyANi and amba nIlAmbari are some of the compositions that come to mind. Also the compositions of Anayya (Anai Iyer and Ayya Iyer). Dhanammal's grandmother Kamakshi also learnt from Anayya.
Last edited by RaviSri on 15 Oct 2011, 12:29, edited 1 time in total.

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

For those who may not have this or seen this video, here is Brinda and Vegavahini singing mEru samAna (mAyAmALavagauLa) and playing a varnam and amba nIlAmbari. They are accompanied by Brinda's cousin T.Ranganathan on the midangam. This was taken at Seattle, Washington in 1969.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolej5dISvE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oslKEmdITA

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

Sorry, the 2nd link contains only the varnam. Below is the link to amba nIlAmbari

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifr0b2RlhHs

Notice the fingering. The fingers seem only to lightly carress the strings but the sangatis, the gamakas are simply mesmerising. Muktha has told me that this was the exact way in which Dhanammal played. Their vocal music also closely followed the same pattern.

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

“Dance reveals what music conceals” - http://www.kpoursine.com/balasara.htm
Her great great grandmother Papammal and grandmother Kamakshi ammal were accomplished dancers, as were her grand-daughter T. Balasaraswati and great grand-daughter Lakshmi Knight; Apparently, Dhanammal and her sister Rupavati ammal also practiced dance!


Ghanam Krishna Iyer’s “niddirayil sopanattil” by Lakshmi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uFFj2v3QM

Kshetrayya’s “kuvalayaakshiro” by Lakshmi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v5zp7UG ... re=related

Vyasaraya’s “krishna nee begane baaro” by Balamma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axuq7ncvjYE


@Ravi & Arasi: Its such a pleasure to participate.. Thanks

thanjavooran
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by thanjavooran »

Shri RaviSri avl,
"Sathanur, Komal, Tiruvalangadu, Tiruvavaduthurai, Thirukkodikaval et al are adjacent villages of the delta formed by veerachozhan and manjalaru, the distributaries of the Cauvery. Legends have it that the Saivaite siddhar Thirumular wrote the Thirumandiram consisting of 3047 poems at Sathanur only & he hailed from that village, a hoary one at that ! "
I have a doubt. The flute Vidwan Sathanur Sankaran does he belong to this village ?
Thanjavooran 16 10 2011

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

Muktamma’s concert at the Cleveland Tyagaraja festival (2002)
http://www.inbaminge.com/t/carnatic/Smt%20T%20Muktha/
(Includes gems of the Dhanammal repertoire such as veena pustaka dharini and ye papamu jesitira referred to in posts # 73 & 18, respectively)

“She enriched the Dhanammal legacy” – Smt. Rita Rajan on Muktamma
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/03/16/stor ... 270300.htm

A padam javali exclusive from Muktamma
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/artist/ ... ncert_1999_/

N. Shashikiran interviews Muktamma
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/ms/2002/1 ... 070300.htm

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

Sripada Ramamurty pays tribute to the memory of Veena Dhanammal
http://yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/VeenaDhanamdec38.htm

Veena Dhanammal’s grandsons T. Ranganathan and T. Viswanathan enriched the family heritage even as they adapted to life and work in America.

“It was clear that Ranga was the teacher for me” – David Nelson
http://dpnelson.web.wesleyan.edu/ranganathan.html

Mridangam tani avartanam – T. Ranganathan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSVLkQS2xDs

An interview with T. Viswanathan
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/am ... 00141.html

Thayumanavar’s – “ettanai vidhangal thaan”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPLrCt_G ... re=related

balakk
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by balakk »

I'm not sure if it's inappropriate - please delete if so.

I remember the older version of rasikas.org had a masthead "The place that Dhanammal dreaded!" - I didn't get that part. Can anyone please explain?

rshankar
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by rshankar »

balakk wrote: "The place that Dhanammal dreaded!"
Perhaps the Madras Music Academy where people talked about 'music', instead of letting their music 'talk'? :)

vasanthakokilam
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Yes, that is the angle.. Her remark about music academy sessions seemed to have been 'angE sangeedaththai patthi pEsappOrALAmE!'

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

It is, 'anga sangIdatha pathi pEsharALAmE'

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

In spite of her stated aversion for "discussions" on music, Veena Dhanammal was remarkably receptive to Hindustani music from North India and, in turn, taught carnatic music to Gauhar Jan and Abdul Karim Khan - they must have "talked" - well, at least a little....

A sampling of Gauhar Jan’s Bhupali
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6HIMlyH ... re=related

Gauhar Jan learnt “bhajana parula” from Veena Dhanammal and released a recording! http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2008/02/22 ... auhar-jan/
Would love to hear this one if someone has a recording to share.

Abdul Karim Khan's "rama nee samaanamevvaru" – he learnt it from Veena Dhanammal! http://www.esnips.com/doc/382e2972-30e9 ... manamevaru

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

“rama nee samaanamevvaru” and others that Veena Dhanammal recorded for Columbia.
http://surasa.net/music/karnatak/contri ... mmal_songs

Episodes 36-41 Veena Dhanammal: analysis of her ghana ragamalika taanam by Vidya
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Raagarasika

In conversation with Smt. Sulochana Govardhan
“Even though I tried to move away from a musical family, here I was married into one!”
http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article. ... le_id=2922

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

“At her fabled Friday night performances, they would sometimes sit together, an assemblage of young revolutionary musicians, most of them from Jayammal’s generation, who were to shape the future of karnatik music”
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Q3Es ... ns&f=false

All India Radio Release – T. Brinda & T. Mukta: padams / javalis exclusive
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/artist/ ... _Muktha_T/

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

Veena Dhanammal’s technique: a tutorial by Dr. K.G. Vijayakrishnan
http://www.archive.org/details/DrKGVija ... airavidemo

Veena Dhanammal and T.N. Rajaratnam Pillai in the hall of musical fame
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article63003.ece

The representation of women in the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru was marginal during the heydays of Veena Dhanammal and Bangalore Nagaratnammal; indeed the latter’s indefatigable services paved the way for greater inclusion, social justice and women’s empowerment. In the 1960s, the trio of T. Brinda, T. Mukta and M.S.Subbulakshmi “gate-crashed” the unchavritti procession and secured for all women the rights to participate in all events related to the Aradhana. This clip (1984 ?) is a poignant reminder of the struggles and their courage of conviction…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=KFR396y35xk

Veena Dhanammal – her greatness remembered more in anecdotes than fact?
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/10/14/stor ... 570300.htm

Ramasubramanian M.K
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

knandago: Great archival retrieval!! Many thanks!! Keep them coming!!!

annamalai
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by annamalai »

knandago2001 wrote: This clip (1984 ?) is a poignant reminder of the struggles and their courage of conviction…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=KFR396y35xk
The clip is vintage stuff in recording. So many great vidwans in attendance - Semamngudi, T. Brinda, MSS, Madurai Somu, Prof. SR, Santhanam, DKJ, Tiruparkadal Veeraraghavan, V. Thyagarajan, T. Rukmani, TVG, UK Sivaraman, Guruvayur Dorai, Sikkil Sisters, N. Ramani ... RK Venkatarama Sastri doing Abhishekam for St. Thyagaraja. If DKJ's concert was the National Program of Music (live broadcast from Tiruvaiyaru in the night), I attended the aradhana in person, but could not get into the pandal in the morning for the Aradhana.
Wish there was a recording when Ariyakudi and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer were leading the Aradhana ...

Ranganayaki
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Ranganayaki »

A moment of nostalgia for me as I recognized my own Guru, Vaigal Gnanaskandan, as I remember him from 30 years ago. I recognized him from his jet black hair and his hand movement as he marked the taalam :). He is in a brown shawl a little to the left and behind Kunnakudi. Watched the dugukoogala part where his face appears clearly.

Thank you.

vasanthakokilam
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by vasanthakokilam »

While researching some stuff for something that originated from this thread, I stumbled across Smt. Mukta's grand daughter Uma Vasudevan's web site. In the Lineage tab, she talks about the family. There are a couple of photographs there, including a vintage black and white one: http://www.umavasudevan.com/umavasudeva ... neage.html

rshankar
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by rshankar »

A question for the likes of RaviSri, MKR, or Nandagopal: in the web page posted by VK in the previous post, there is a statement that the sisters were constantly learning new compositions from different people....now, isn't this at variance from their lack of support for people who learnt from a whole bunch of different gurus?

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

As long as students did not violate the idiom of the Dhanammal school – the values, aesthetics, technicalities, and aspects of presentation – and they had developed a taste for discrimination, I doubt that they were discouraged from learning under other gurus. In the professionally competitive world of performance, it is imperative that an artiste enriches his / her repertoire. Learning specific compositions from authentic sources (the composers or their shishya parampara) was one way to achieve this. Exposure to gurus who were not members of the Dhanammal school was actually favored – Brindamma and Muktamma trained under Kanchipuram Nayana Pillai and Veena Krishnamachar; Smt. Vegavauhini Vijayaraghavan learnt music from Ramnad Krishnan; T. Viswanathan from Swaminatha Pillai; Balamma trained under Kandappa Pillai and Mylapore Gowri Amma! (Her mother Jayammal did not perform dance in public; Veena Dhanammal had learnt dance from Tanjore Kamakshiammal, used to sing at sister Rupavatiammal’s performaces and was a connoisseur of abhinaya)

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

“Will padam singing become extinct in these days of changing audience tastes?”
http://www.hindu.com/ms/2006/01/04/stor ... 040100.htm

yalane vanipai – Viswanath Parasuram & Sriram Parasuram
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzxnxiN ... re=related

ini enna pechu? Smt. Subhashini Parthasarathy
http://www.raaga.com/greetings/track-se ... ?tid=78069

rshankar
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by rshankar »

knandago2001 wrote:As long as students did not violate the idiom of the Dhanammal school – the values, aesthetics, technicalities, and aspects of presentation – and they had developed a taste for discrimination, I doubt that they were discouraged from learning under other gurus.
That makes perfect sense..I do wish that this point is emphasized when people recount stories of how they did not like people to learn from a whole bunch of gurus. :)

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

Daughter of Dr. T. Sitapati Iyer and Smt. Kanakammal, Smt. Savithri Rajan was a much acclaimed musician and musicologist trained by Veena Dhanammal. Watch “The Flying Bird” online – a story of her life directed by Vishnu Mathur; Starring Savithri Rajan (1989) http://www.1channel.ch/watch-248956-The-Flying-Bird

Smt. Savithri Rajan’s tribute to Veena Dhanammal http://www.worldcat.org/title/classical ... /056720731 If someone has a recording to share, that would be awesome – many thanks in advance.

She nurtured “Sampradaya” – Bhama Rajagopalan
http://www.hindu.com/2001/04/23/stories/09230702.htm
This article includes some nice photographs http://www.columbuscarnaticmusic.org/pd ... radaya.pdf

knandago2001
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by knandago2001 »

No, it is not entertainment. It is not a `nice,' `likeable' style. It demands that you meet it halfway. Then it transforms you – Aniruddha Knight
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/dance/article10660.ece

Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan learnt music from Kamakshiammal (Brindamma’s mother) and dance from Mylapore Gowri amma, Chinnayya Naidu, and Kanappa Pillai. In this lec-dem, she performs abhinaya for “maaname bhushanamu” – Smt. Geetha Raja, Brindamma’s disciple, provides vocal support http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bbDXNqK ... re=related

A padam / javali exclusive from Smt. R. Vedavalli
http://www.dhingana.com/padams-and-java ... lbum/16803

Albums by T. Viswanathan
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/ ... 10,00.html
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tviswanathanflute

Enna_Solven
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Enna_Solven »

Nadopasakas - 07 - T Brinda and T Muktha - Ososi - Mukhari - Padam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-k8ZTEAG0c

maduraimini
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by maduraimini »

knandago2001,
Thanks for the padams. I liked the Kamboji one by Viswanath and Sriram Parasuram. I love padams sung by Brinda and Muktha and am glad to know artists still sing them. Would like to hear more Kshetragna padams if someone can post them. Thanks in advance.

clmweb
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by clmweb »

A very fascinating thread, that I only stumbled upon thanks to a long stopover at the airport... My grandfather owned the house in Gandhinagar next to their residence, consequently my mother was well acquainted with them, especially T. Brinda's daughter Vegavahini Vijayaraghavan. While not being much of a Carnatic listener, my mother would always tune in when the sisters or Ms. Vijayaraghavan performed on the radio or TV.
-Karthik

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

clmweb, 'My grandfather owned the house in Gandhinagar next to their residence'

May I know, just out of curiousity, are you Director L.V.Prasad's grandson or S.S.Vasan/S.S.Balan's grandson?

clmweb
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by clmweb »

I was probably still in kindergarten when I last visited the house, so I will have to check on the exact location (next/next-but-one) or who subsequently purchased it in 1980(?). My grandfather was Barrister S.Krishnamurthy.

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

It must be the next but one. To the left of the Gandhinagar house of Muktha is film director L.V.Prasad's house and to the right is movie moghul S.S.Vasan's son S.S.Balan's house. Just opposite Muktha's house was T.N.Rajaratnam's bungalow.

cienu
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Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by cienu »

Satyajit Ray's monumental documentary on the legendary Bala Amma is now fully available on Youtube. A truly immortal classic which must be watched fully...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2cC2Y0mJvw

thanjavooran
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by thanjavooran »

cienu avl,
Excellent! Thanx for the wonderful link.
Thanjavooran 20 05 2012

mahavishnu
Posts: 3341
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by mahavishnu »

thanks, Cienu. What a treasure!
I have always been wondering if that documentary would ever be made available to the public.

Ramasubramanian M.K
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Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Cienu: Thanks for the link. For all the "buzz" heard belatedly in the Music Circles of Chenai including the Music Academy about the Dhanammal-Balasaraswathi's legacy to Dance and Music, it required a Satyajit Ray to recognize the greatness of Bala--Ravi Shankar has paid several tributes--from the heart to Bala's dance. Yet both in Dhanammal's last days as wellas Bala's the Music Fraternity was apathetic.

Cienu You may not remember-- check with your Mom-- Kalki Gardens was a regular haunt for Bala during her lean days-- there is a recording of Bala Singing --I think --Subramania Bhujangam-- in Viruttam done in one of these sessions--all done quietly without any fanfare by Mama and Mami(TS/MSS)--one of many pristine recordings at the Kalki gardens--most of it untraceable after the hasty wind-up of the Gardens in 1977(before the US tour). I wonder if Cienu has been able to resurrect some of them. I am sure Radha's elephantine memory should help!!!
Oh for memories,memories of the gardens--Cienu I have long thought about an idea of a series"Life at the Kalki gardens" try coaxing your Mom to share them with you--perhaps I can help in adding my reminiscences to it. That will reveal what a hospitable place the Kalki Gardens were for Music dance and art --More later.

mahavishnu
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by mahavishnu »

MKR- thank you for your reminiscences.
The Subrahmanya Bhujangam (sadha bala rupapi) sung by Bala, beginning in Hamsadhwani is an all-time classic and it is with a number of collectors now. I had no idea that it was recorded @ the Kalki gardens.

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

MKR, the Subramanya Bhujangam tape was available even 20 years ago, but the quality is very poor. If someone has a good quality recording of this wonderful work of Adi Sankara sung hauntingly by Bala, please upload it.

RaviSri
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Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

As for apathy of the music fraternity towards Dhanammal family, ordinary rasikas never understood their art since it required a lot of effort. But peers like MS, Ariyakkudi, Chembai, Semmangudi and many others were almost slaves to their music and Bala's dance.

I don't remember whether I have written about this in this thread: MS wanted to listen to Mukthamma and sometime in 2002, after Mukthamma returned from Cleveland, she went to Kotturpuram to her dear friend's house and sang for some 2 hours. Sowmya accompanied her. MS also requested Viswa to give a concert at her house and this happened in January 1999.


rshankar
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by rshankar »

RaviSri wrote:I don't remember whether I have written about this in this thread: MS wanted to listen to Mukthamma and sometime in 2002, after Mukthamma returned from Cleveland, she went to Kotturpuram to her dear friend's house and sang for some 2 hours. Sowmya accompanied her.
MS also requested Viswa to give a concert at her house and this happened in January 1999.
RaviSri - can you please give us a list of the items presented in these two concerts? Would love to see how one musician performs for another!

RaviSri
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Re: The Dhanammal Legacy - with Family Photos

Post by RaviSri »

Mukthamma at MS's house: I don't know all the pieces that she rendered because I was not present. But I heard she sang vINA pustakadhAriNi (vEgavAhini of Dikshitar), shankarAchAryam (shankarAbharaNam of Subbarama Dikshitar), amba nIlAmbari (nIlAmbari of Ponniah), pArvati ninnu (kalgaDA of Shyama Sastri), rAma rAma (bhairavi padam, payyadA (nAdanAmakriya padam), sakhi prANa (senchuruTTi).

Viswa at MS's house:

1) srI saraswati hitE (mAnji; Dikshitar)
2) vINA pustakadhAriNi (vEgavAhini; Dikshitar)
3) palukuTachE (phalamanjari; PAtnam)
4) ethanai dAn viddhai (Ananda bhairavi; Anayya)
5) vidhi illArkku (karaharapriya; Anayya)
6) challanA (Kshetrayya's shankarAbharaNam padam)- This was a special request from MS.
7) mAdE avara sheyda (Ghanam Krishnayyar's bhairavi padam on Ramabhadra Moopanar) - At Karuppiah Moopanar's request.
8 ) jANarOyi (khamAs jAvaLi) -The Sikkil Sister's request.
9) maharAjuka ramannavE ( bEhAg jAvaLi)

He played AlApanas in phalamanjari, karaharapriya and shankarAbharaNam. Most of the songs, Viswa Sir sang with brief interludes on the flute. Supporting him were disciples B.Balasubramanian and Usha Shivakumar. Disciple T.R.Murthy provided accompaniment on the flute. On the violin was V.Thagarajan and on the ghanjira was V.Nagarajan. There was no mridangam accompaniment.

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